Description

The Inter-institutional Postgraduate Program “Oceanography and Management of the Marine Environment” is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, being one of the oldest postgraduate programs of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. It went through the phases of the “Professional Indicative Oceanography” (founded in 1974 by the “then” Faculty of physico-mathematical Sciences of the University of Athens), the Interdepartmental postgraduate program (from the Departments: Biology, Geology, and Geo-environment, Physics, and Chemistry) and in the last years the inter-institutional postgraduate program with the participation of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research.

The necessity of establishing the postgraduate program and its organisation at an interdisciplinary and inter-institutional level is obvious and is based both on the characteristics of our country (a predominantly maritime country with thousands of islands, a huge coastline, and a large economic activity related to the sea) and on the strong interdisciplinary nature of the scientific fields of Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management. Our goal is to meet the requirements of modern times in the specialization of scientific potential that will cope with the complexity of contemporary problems at every level and field of activity related to the science of Oceanography. In addition, it aims to develop basic and applied research on the marine environment and sustainable development, as well as to disseminate scientific knowledge to social groups and institutional organizations involved in environmental issues of coastal and marine ecosystems.

In half a century of operation, the structure and curriculum have been greatly modernized and more than 500 Master’s Degrees have been awarded. Hundreds of our graduates, having acquired knowledge and skills from the postgraduate program, excel in research fields in Greece and abroad, as well as in public and private sector activities related to environmental management and protection of the marine environment.

Our program has a very strong foundation both in the departments collaborating in the postgraduate program and in the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. About 20 faculty members of the University of Athens collaborate and teach in the program, as well as a significant number of scientists from the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research Centre and other universities and research centers. The rich logistical, educational and laboratory infrastructure of the four departments and of Hellenic Centre for Marine Research gives our students enormous opportunities to acquire full and substantial training.

Finally, in cooperation with the Naval Service of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, an annual Oceanographic Training Mission with the oceanographic vessel AEGEAN has been organized for the last few years, for the more complete training of our students and the important acquisition of experience in oceanographic studies.

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